Where'd She Go?
by kazeokiku
Summary: COMPLETE Lindsey is kidnapped, Catherine tries to save her. Everyone else is left processing the scene. CathGil
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CSI, as much as I wish I did. Just like playing with them.

**Notes: **This is my first fan fic. I would love any reviews, and any constructive

criticism would be great. Let me know if you think that I should keep going with

it.

**Archive: **Where ever you want, just send a review, telling me where.

**----------------At the Lab, Near the End of Shift---------------**

Catherine sat in the evidence room reviewing the case one last time before leaving for court. Her phone rang, breaking the silence of the nearly empty lab.

"Willows" she said exasperatedly, glancing at her watch.

"Hello Catharine. Do you know where Lindsey is?" came the electronically manipulated voice.

_NO!!! This can't be happening!! _Catherine's mind was screaming, as she tried to keep her voice steady "Yes, she's..." Catherine checked the time again "she's on the bus to school."

"Are you so sure?" the voice mocked her softly. "If she's going to school, then who is this..." Catherine heard the sounds of a phone being passed to someone else.

"Mommy?" a tear-filled voice came over the phone.

_Ohmygod, NO, NO, NOOOOO!_ "Lindsey, baby, are you okay?

"Mommy, I'm scared!! I-"Then the kidnapper grabbed the phone from the distraught child.

"Now that you know that I'm not joking-"Catherine cut him off.

"You BASTARD!!! What do you want? What the hell do you want? If you've hurt her, I'll KILL you!!" She screamed into the phone.

"Calm down, Cat." He sounded almost amused. "I haven't hurt her yet. What happens next is entirely up to you. You've seen a hundred kidnappings; you know the drill - Don't make any phone calls, don't contact the police, come alone, etc. Meet me on the top floor of the Bellagio parking garage in twenty minutes,and I promise she will be all right. But if you're not there..." he hung up.

Catherine jumped up and ran from the evidence room. Got to get to Lindsey, she _had_ to get to Lindsey. No- she had to let someone else know so they could bring help. She had been the only one in the lab because of her court date; every one else was out in the field. She scribbled a note and stuck it on the door to the locker room, as she ran to her car.

**------------------Half an Hour Later, Still at the Lab------------------**

Grissom sat at his desk, trying to gather the chaos on his desk into a semblance of order before leaving for the day. He glanced up at the clock on his wall, 7:43._ Dayshift will be here soon,_ he thought aimlessly. Then, apparently deciding that his desk would take too long to straighten up, he left it in its usual disarray, and walked out, wanting to find Catherine and wish her luck before she left for court. Nick, Sara, Warrick, and Greg were just leaving as Grissom arrived at the Break Room.

"Hey" he said absent mindedly, looking into the Break Room. "Anyone seen Catherine recently?"

"Didn't she have court today? The armed robbery case from a few weeks ago or something?" Sara inquired.

"Yeah, that's sort of what I wanted to talk to her about, she left everything in the Evidence Room."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Nick interjected. "Cath went to court without any evidence?"

"Yeah - weird, I know. I called her cell, but she didn't answer, probably turned it off.

"Well," Sara offered "the courthouse isn't that far outta the way for me, do you want me to drop the stuff off on my way home?"

"Sure, if you hurry, you can probably get there in time, case opens at 8:00."

"OK, see y'all tonight." Sara headed off towards the locker room to get her keys, from where she had left them at the start of shift.

"How could she go to court without all that stuff?" Warrick wondered aloud, only to be met with shrugs from the three men standing nearby.

"Hey- guys?" Sara's voice was so weak they could hardly hear her. Without a word being said, they all took off, running toward the locker room. Sara looked like she was about to faint. "L-look" she said unsteadily, holding a crumpled piece of paper out in her shaking hand.

Lindsey's been kidnapped. Gone to help her. Top  
floor of Bellagio parking lot, got to be there before 7:30.  
If you guys get back before that, DO NOT do anything  
until Lindsey is safe!  
Cath

"Oh, God..." Grissom stared at the note, his mind unable to process what was happening. "Okay, lets go, maybe she's still there." He flipped open his phone as they ran toward the cars. _Come on, Brass, pick up, dammit!_ Then, as Nick floored the accelerator, Brass finally answered his phone. "Brass? We've got a big problem. Lindsey was kidnapped, and Catherine went after her-"a short pause, then "Bellagio Parking lot, top floor. Yeah, we're on our way."

**---------------Bellagio Parking Garage---------------**

The CSIs arrived at almost the same time as the police. The dimly lit garage was empty, save for Catherine's SUV... and two bodies. Grissom, Nick, Sara, Warrick, and Greg all stood in shock. "All right. We've got to process this like any other case, all right, guys?

"Yeah." Sara seemed to still be in shock. "Right." She swallowed hard fighting back tears.

"Right then." they all seemed too shocked to do any thing. "Nick, you and Greg take the tire treads, Warrick, could you get pictures of everything, close-ups and overalls. Sara, the Bellagio has cameras in their garage, so you and I have that. Lets get to work." Slowly they started moving, trying to think of it as just another crime scene. A few minutes later, David and Dr. Roberts arrived to take the bodies to the morgue.


	2. Payback TIme

Disclaimer: I do _not _own CSI (unfortunately!) Nor do I own Avirl Lavigne's 'Losing my Grip' (well actually, I _do_, just not the copy write. : [ ) Notes: Reviews welcome as always!! If anyone has an idea for a good title, let me know; mine is just awful! 

Sara turned to Grissom as the EMT loaded the first body into the ambulance under Dr. Robins' close supervision. "Security Office is on first floor, right? She walked over to the elevator and hit the button, then turned around to see if Grissom was coming. Behind she heard the elevator door open, but then- before she could turn around- she heard it click shut again.

Spinning around, Sara stared at the door. "Grissom?" she questioned, sure she had imagined it. "Did that door just-"

But he wasn't listening to her. "Lindsey? He called, hoping she could hear him through the thick metal door. "Linds, it's Uncle Gil. Are you okay? Would you open the door? Please?"

Slowly the doors opened revealing a little girl with a tearstained face. Crying, she flung herself at 'Uncle Gil' as he bent to embrace her. "Mommy told me not to open the doors until you guys came." she explained between sobs. Then her face paled as she saw a sheet-covered stretcher being put in an ambulance. "That's not- Mommy can't be-"Lindsey couldn't get the words out.

"Oh, no, that's- no." Sara bent to reassure the child, who turned from Grissom and buried her face in Sara's shoulder.

Grissom stood and walked over to where Brass was standing. Brass waved away the cop he had been talking to, and turned to Grissom. "So we've got two dead bad guys, and two missing good guys." he said, struggling to keep the anger and frustration of his face.

"Make that 'one missing good guy' "Grissom explained further after a questioning look from the detective. "Lindsey was hiding in the elevator. Catherine told her to keep the door closed until we arrived."

"Thank God!" Brass exclaimed. "Is she all right?"

"She looks fine. She's scared, worried about her mom..." Grissom's voice trailed off.

"Hey, Gris?" Sara's voice floated across the cement room Grissom looked over. Sara was standing up, her hands on Lindsey's shoulders, as Lindsey tried to stop the tears flowing down her face. "I'm going to take Lindsey to the station, then home. You all got the scene?"

"Uh, sure." Grissom turned to the elevator to go down, but then, remembering that it was part of the scene, he turned to his car, and started the drive down to ground level.

Sara and Lindsey didn't say much as they drove toward the police station. After a few minutes, Lindsey leaned forward and started playing with the radio. After playing with it for a while, she found a station she liked, and sat back. Avril Lavigne's voice filled the car-

- 'Cause you weren't there,

When I was scared,

I'm in this thing

Alone!!

She shut the music off quickly. They drove the remainder of the way in silence.

Detective Vega looked at Sara and Lindsey standing in the waiting room. _Oh Lord, I don't think I can do this. I already questioned her when her father was shot, now I have to ask her about her mom's kidnapping! _With a sigh, he walked up to them. "You guys ready?"

---------------XXXXXXXXXX --------------- 

Catherine awoke with a pounding headache. Slowly, she rose to her feet, trying to ignore the pain in her head. Holding her hands out in front of her, she staggered forward until she found the wall. Running her hands along the wall, Catherine finally found the door. _Locked. Well, no surprises there._ Drooping to the floor, she tried to peer through the crack, but it had been blocked up from the other side. Retreating to the far corner of the room, she sank to the floor, remembering the events that had taken place before in the last few minutes before she had lost consciousness. Then she remembered, _the elevator doors had closed, and there is no way to break into an elevator without alerting security. Lindsey was SAFE!!! And with Lindsey to answer questions, and the security tapes, Grissom and all would-_

The door opening broke her train of thought, and she looked up to see a figure silhouetted against the lights behind him. Blinking at the sudden brightness, Catherine tried to focus her eyes. The voice that spoke chilled her blood, "Hey, Cath! Long time, no see!" he said, in an attempt at civility. When she didn't respond, he slammed her against the wall. "You Bitch, you ruined my life!! You put me in jail for _ten years!!_ _TEN_ years in an 8x10 cell- do you know what that's like? You took away my job, my family, my career.... Well guess what? It's payback time!"


	3. A Call From Catherine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CSI (big surprise there!). I'm just borrowing them for a

while to play with.

**Spoilers:** Lady Heather's Box

**Notes:** As usual, I love any reviews, and would appreciate any constructive criticism.

---------------Security Office--------------- 

Grissom walked into the office, glancing at the monitors surrounding him. Up in one of the corners, he could see Nick and Greg, who, having finished the tire treads, were searching for any prints or trace fibers with the ALS. "That one." He indicated the screen, the security guard typed in a few keys and the picture appeared on the main screen. "All right, can you take it back to-"_Lets see, Cath's note said 7:30, so... _"7:28." the man nodded, and a few seconds later they were watching a dark blue Sedan parking, while the numbers 7:28:07 flashed in the corner, the second digits climbing slowly. Suddenly his phone rang. "Grissom." The guard watched as Grissom, forgetting about the surveillance tapes, walked out of the room, signaling to Brass.

----------------XXXXXXXXXX--------------- 

Catherine pushed him away from her and ran for the still-open door. She spotted a phone and dialed Grissom's number. "Grissom," he answered. Running into a closest, Catherine waited until she had heard her kidnapper pass before responding. "Gris? Its me" she whispered. "Is Lindsey okay?"

"Cath! Oh god- Yeah, Linds's fine.... Are you all right? Do you know where you are?" In the background, Catherine could hear him trying to get a trace on the call.

"I'm OK, but- where I am... no clue. Where's Lindsey, is she there?" Catherine was desperate to make sure her daughter was safe.

"No, she's with Sara-"Then Grissom heard something on the other end that made his heart stop.

The door creaked open. "There you are," the low voice growled. He reached for the phone, but Catherine held it away from him. "How much longer do you need for the trace, Gil?" She called into the phone, trying to keep her assailant away from the 'End Call' button.

"Just a few more seconds," Grissom almost shouted into the phone hoping she could hear him. In the background he could hear Catherine struggling as she tried to keep the line open.

Catherine fought him as hard as she could, trying to give Grissom a chance to get the trace, but he pinned her down. Panting with exertion, the man grabbed the phone out of her hand and threw it against the wall. The pieces scattered and the phone line went dead.

"Damn it!!" Grissom pulled the phone away from his ear, and turned to Brass. "Did we get it?"

Catherine tried to get away from him, and finally managed to get a hand free. She scratched him, trying to get his eyes. Crying out in pain as Catherine's nails raked the side of his face, the man lost control completely, punching her again and again. Catherine tried to shield herself, but as blow after blow landed, she slipped out of consciousness.

---------------Lindsey's Story--------------- 

"So what happened after you left your aunts house this morning?" Detective Vega asked quietly.

"Well, normally, I go over to Annie's house and we wait for the bus together." On seeing the confusion on Vega's face, she explained further. "Annie's my best friend. We go to the bus stop together whenever I'm staying at Auntie's, 'cause Mommy worries about my being there alone.

"Anyway, I was walkin' over to Annie house, and someone grabbed me... Then a car pulled up and he made me get into it. Then they called Mommy- they let me talk to her a little. Then we got to the garage, and waited for Mommy." Lindsey paused. "Then Mom got there, and they let us talk for a minute. That was when she told me to hide in the elevator if I got a chance. Then... they tried to make us get back in the car, but Mom ran away, they both followed her, and I ran for the elevator. Then, someone- the driver, probably- told them not to leave any witnesses. Then- I heard gunshots. I turned around, and...." Lindsey took a breath. "Mom had her gun out. One of the men was on the ground, the other was aiming his gun at me, and the driver was getting out of the car. Mommy shot the guy who was aiming for me, then turned toward the other person. She told me to keep running." Tears were streaming down Lindsey face, as she tried to keep going. "She told me to keep going!" Lindsey started sobbing, and Sara leaned over to comfort her.

Vega motioned to Sara that he had everything he needed, and left them.

"It's OK, Lindsey. Everything will be OK. I promise we'll find your Mom. I promise...." Sara hugged the little girl close._ I couldn't find your dad's killer, I'm not going to fail you again. _


	4. We got a name!

**Disclaimer: **You have probably guessed that I don't own CSI. If you don't

realize that by now, you should seek mental help immediately.

**Notes: **Sorry it has taken me so long to update- the power's been out all over town. Couldn't get on the computer for like 2 days.

**---------------Bellagio Security Office---------------**

Brass shook his head, "Sorry, we needed just 10 more seconds."

"Damn it!" Grissom's phone rang. "What!" he shouted into it, frustrated.

"Gil, its Al. Um, we need to start on these bodies."

"Oh, right... one of us'll be there soon." He hung up and turned to Brass. "So we didn't get _anything_?"

"Let me see your phone real quick." Brass reached for Grissom's phone. "Let's see, Menu, Settings, Profiles... here we are- Call Log." Skipping past Dr. Robbins number, Brass highlighted the next one on the list. He handed it back to Grissom. "Have Archie run it, maybe it will give you something." Grissom jotted the number down. They turned to go back upstairs, forgetting about the security tape.

**---------------Top Floor of Bellagio Parking Garage----------------**

Nick felt like he had been over every inch of the floor, yet he knew he still had a long way to go. _And you can't miss anything!_ he told himself. As he moved to a different section, he saw something. "Hey Greg, come 'ere!"

"Whatcha got?" the lab techie ran over.

"You name it - blood, hair, clothing fiber, fingerprints, everything." They had just started to put everything into evidence bags when Warrick called them over.

Greg ran over as Nick marked their spot, so they could finish collection later.

"Ok," Grissom started. "One of us needs to go with the bodies, Warrick, you got that. Make sure to print them and run 'em through CODIS. Nick, you take keep going up here. Greg, run what you've got back to the lab, and take this back to Archie." He handed Greg the slip of paper. "I've got to call Sara and Lindsey, then I'll finish up the tapes."

Slowly the group split up, heading of in various directions.

Grissom dialed Sara's cell.

**---------------Sara's Apartment---------------**

"Gris? Any news?" Sara asked unsure whether news would be good or bad.

"Catherine called, but the line went dead before we could get a trace."

"Is she OK? Did she say where she was?"

"She said she was fine, but didn't know where she was. She was... interrupted while we were on the phone - We've gotta find her soon, he didn't sound too happy about her calling me."

"Damn," Sara muttered under her breath.

"You shouldn't say that." Sara spun around to see Lindsey, hands on hips and a disapproving look on her face.

"Hey- Gris? I'll call you back." she hung up. "Lindsey, I thought you were getting lunch."

"I did already. Why'd you say that? Mommy says you shouldn't use bad words."

"Right. I'm sorry, it won't happen again. Happy now?" Sara teased.

Nodding, Lindsey jumped on the couch next to Sara. "Where's Mommy? Is she gonna be all right?"

Sara thought about what Grissom had said. "I don't know. I hope so."

**---------------At the Lab-------------**

Warrick walked down the hall, holding the computer printouts with info on the dead guys in his hand. "Hey, Archie! Got anything off the phone yet?"

"Yup," Archie spun around, sliding his chair over to the printer in a Greg-imitation. A few seconds later, the printer spit out a sheet of paper. "The phone belongs to a Gerald Fremont. He was put in jail after his wife's murder for ten years. He admitted to abuse - that's what he was convicted of - but got off on the murder charge. Released on parole... three months ago."

Warrick sighed, taking the paper. "Let me guess, Cat was the lead CSI?"

"You got it. And- he owns a house 'bout half an hour out of town. 241 East Maple Ave."

"Thanks, man." Warrick had almost finished dialing Grissom, when Greg called him over.

"Hey 'Rick! The hair and blood- we got a match - Gerald Fremont. He was convicted of -"

'Yeah, just got all that from Archie- thanks."

Warrick called Grissom as he walked toward the car. "Gris, got a name and an address," a pause, "yeah, Archie and Greg both hit the same guy, one through the phone company, the other through CODIS." Another pause. "Gerald Fremont, 241 East Maple- 'K see you there. Oh, the dead guys- both released within the last six months, Cath was in charge of both their cases. Right, see ya in a min." Warrick hung up before getting in the car and pulling out of the parking lot.


	5. She's not here

**Disclaimer:** I hope y'all realize that (Shock) _I don't own them_. Wow, real surprise there.

**Notes:** Thanks for all the reviews y'all, I really appreciate it!!

**-----------------Gerald Fremont's House---------------**

Gerald Fremont looked down at Catherine where she lay on the floor. _Damn bitch, it's her own fault. She shouldn't have called the cops._ Walking over to the cabinet, he rummaged through the drawers until he found some rope. He tied her hands together before dragging her toward the garage door. Picking her up, he tossed her into the backseat of his car, backed out of the driveway and drove off. As he turned the corner, he could hear the sirens of police cars driving up the other road.

**-----------------Gerald Fremont's House----------------**

Brass and Grissom pulled up in a cop car outside Fremont's house. They ran up to the door, guns drawn. Brass knocked on the door while Grissom tried to look through the windows. When they didn't get an answer, Brass knocked the door open. They walked in, the junior cops spreading out, trying to make sure nobody was there. Brass walked through the kitchen as Grissom moved toward the living room,

"Hey Gris, I got nothin'" Brass called out, wondering if they had the wrong house. "Gil?" He strode into the living room. "Oh, God..."

It looked like a tornado had ripped through the room. The door to the closet was open and all the shelves had been knocked out. A telephone was lying in pieces on the floor by the wall, lamps had been knocked of tables, and there was a pool of blood with drag marks leading to the garage. "Gil!" Brass ran to the garage, he saw Grissom standing, facing the wall. "Gil..." Grissom turned around, his face pale.

"Hey guys?" Warrick and Nick had arrived; they walked through the broken door, looking for Grissom and Brass.

"In here!" Brass called out. They could here the exclamations of shock, anger, and disbelief from Warrick and Nick, as the pair walked through the living room. The silence stretched on as the tension thickened. "Grissom?" Warrick asked quietly.

He seemed to pull himself away from his thoughts. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "You two have this," He gestured toward the door into the house. "Brass, you got the PD side of this?" Brass nodded. "All right. I'll go back to the lab, fill out the missing persons, and call Sara." They split up, Warrick and Nick going back inside, Brass and Grissom heading outside.

As Grissom got in his car, he could hear Brass talking to the other cops. "DMV just pulled his name, we're looking for a dark blue Sedan, plate number 957-ERG. I want every cop in the state looking for it _now_!"

**---------------At the Lab---------------**

Sara walked down the hall, looking for Grissom. She barged into his office without bothering to knock. "I thought you were going to call me!" Grissom looked up from the Missing Person's Report, startled. "I just found out, from _Greg_, that you guys found the guy, went to his house, found blood all over the place - and you didn't think to call me about all this?!" She was really screaming at him now - a crowd was gathering in the hallway behind Sara as she continued. "Damn it, Grissom, Catherine is my friend too, and Warrick's and Nick's, and we're _all_ worried about her! You're not helping to find her by sitting in here on your ass doing paperwork!" She broke down, crying. Grissom closed the door in everyone's faces and, turning, wrapped his arms around Sara. "Lindsey keeps asking me where Cat is, and I don't know what to tell her! I want to help look for Catherine, but I know she'd want me watching Linds - "

"Hey - hey! It's gonna be all right. Trus' me." Sara straightened, wiping the tears of her face. "So, where _is_ Lindsey, anyway?"

"In the Chem. Lab, with Greg. They've got that music turned up so loud, an F-16 could take off next door, and they'd never hear it."

Grissom grinned at that, "Okay, since I need to get my ass out of here, you can stay and watch Lindsey here, _and _do all the paperwork. I'll go help Nicky and Warrick at the scene. All right?"

Sara looked a little embarrassed about her outburst. "Okay." She watched as Grissom grabbed his keys and walked out, leaving her to explain the shouting to everyone.

**----------------XXXXXXXXXX---------------**

Catherine woke up in the back of the sedan, her head pounding. She grimaced, then tasted blood as the cut on her lip split open again. The car bounced over a pothole, and Catherine groaned slightly, then wished she'd kept quiet when she saw the man's eyes flick to the rear-view mirror. "So you're awake, huh? Don't worry, your friends got the trace; they have another nice little scene to process now." He watched with amusement as Catherine tried to sit up, but - unable to move her hands - fell back to her side with a soft moan. Finally managing to pull herself upright, Catherine stared out the window, her heart sinking when she realized where they were.

**Notes:** Hey Y'all!! I'll just leave you with a cliffhanger. Ha Ha!! (Aren't I awful!) I'll try to update within a day or so.

**_SARA.fan4_**


	6. The Gas and Go

**Disclaimer: **OK, brace yourselves for a huge revelation: I don't own them. I don't own Grissom, I don't own Catherine, I don't own Sara, I don't own Nick, Warrick, Greg Brass, etc. The only one I own is "Gerald Fremont," which kind of sucks 'cause he's a murderer, kidnapper, and a wife-beater. I don't know if the places exist or not, everything just comes out of my head.

**Notes: **sorry it's taken so long to update. Blame my teachers; they hand out too much HW!

**Spoilers:** Read the first few lines - guess!

**----------------XXXXXXXXXX----------------**

Catherine stared out the window in shock. The desert stretched for miles in every direction. The only building in site was an abandoned gas station, _the Gas-and-Go station, south of Henderson. _The last time she had been out her, was with Roy Logan, after he had killed his wife. _So is this just coincidence, or does he have something to do with the Logan Case? _The man looked at her in the mirror again, "You still don't recognize me, do you?" Catherine shook her head slowly. "I don't believe this! You put me in jail, and then forget I ever existed."

"I don't put people in jail," Catherine tried to explain, "I just analyze the scenes."

"It was the prosecutor's first murder case, the judge was a liberal, and the jury was a bunch of rednecks. Everything was in my favor, but you ruined it!!

Catherine struggled to recollect, then suddenly remembered, ten years ago, domestic-abuse/murder case, _the perp got off on the murder charge, but was sentenced to ten years for wife-beating. That was it - Fremont. _"Fremont? Gerald Fremont?"

"Ah, now you remember!" he exclaimed sarcastically, as he pulled into the gas station.

Pulling her from the car, he dragged Catherine toward a small shack behind the building. He loosened his hold on her to open the door, and she twisted out of his grasp. She grabbed the keys out of his hand and ran to the car. She fumbled to open the door with her still-bound hands. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him running toward her. Catherine opened the door, but before she could climb inside, her kidnapper slammed into her, pushing her against the side of the car. Catherine struggled to turn around and fight him, but he held her pressed up against the sedan. "Let go of me!" Catherine shouted as she tried to get away.

"I'll let go of you when I'm damn well ready." he growled. The movement of his hands changed suddenly. He used his body to pin her to the car as his hands roamed over her...

**---------------Gerald Fremont's Apartment---------------**

Grissom walked into the living room, trying to keep from breaking down. Warrick was standing in a corner sketching the crime scene. "Where's Nick?"

Warrick glanced up, startled. "Hey Gris. 'Thought you were gonna to be doing paperwork all day?" Grissom shrugged, remembering Sara's outburst. "Oh yeah, Nicky went to pick up the security tapes from the garage. He's going to take it back to the lab - let Archie work his magic with it."

"So what do we have so far?" Grissom asked.

"Well, from what I can tell, Cath was in the walk-in linen closet thing over there," he pointed to an open door down the hall. "I found her prints all over the inside doorknob. She ran out; the phone is right there," he gestured to an end table next to the couch. "Grabs it, hide in the closet and calls you. Fremont finds her eventually; he tries to end the connection. So he throws the phone, and.... loses his temper." They both stared at the blood on the floor.

"Have we found anything that could tell us where she is _now_?"

Warrick shook his head, "Nothin' yet. I'm still looking though." They split up and continued looking over the room again, inch by inch.

**-----------------At the Lab--------------**

Nick walked into the room and peered over Archie's shoulder at the computer screen. "You rang?"

Archie looked up, his eyes glistening. "Yeah, I think I got something. I fast-forwarded until after Linds got to the elevator- her account was accurate for everything she saw. Cath shot the two guys, then turned to face the driver before the doors closed." They watched on the screen as Catherine turned her gun on the last man, and pulled the trigger - nothing happened.

"She was out of bullets... She used 'em all up protecting Lindsey and didn't have enough left to protect herself." Nick muttered. On the computer, Catherine dropped the useless gun and ran for her car. Halfway there, Gerald Fremont caught up to her. They fought furiously for a few minutes before a blow caught Catherine full in the face and she dropped to the ground. Catherine fought weakly as the man picked her up and carried her over to the car. He put her in the back, grabbed a syringe, and found one of her veins. Catherine's faint attempt at resistance faded away as she collapsed, unconscious.

"_Damn that Bastard!" _Nick muttered, not wanting Lindsey to hear him from where she sat in the Break Room. "Goddamn him!" he vented, louder then before. He lowered his voice guiltily when he heard the voices in the other room pause. "You said you had something?"

"Look at this." Archie zoomed in on something inside the open sedan - a GPS with the track for the last few days on screen. "It's mostly all to the same places: grocery store, his house, the other two guys' houses on Dogwood Blvd., the CSI building - just driving by, and Catherine's house - also just driving by. But a couple days ago, he went to an abandoned gas station out on highway 581. He just went out there and turned around again. Setting up a back-up place maybe?"

Before he had finished talking, Nick was dialing a judge. "Hello? This is CSI Stokes, is Judge Hanson there?" pause, "all right." He covered the mouthpiece. "Thanks, Archie, I think this it!" He walked out. "Sara!" She poked her head out of the Break Room. "I'm trying to get a warrant right now. Call Gris an' all - I think we got him!"


	7. You can't get a Warrant

**Disclaimer: **Don't own 'em. Never have and probably never will. :-(

**Notes:** Thanx for all the reviews! 

**----------------At the Lab---------------**

"What do you mean, I can't have a warrant?"

Judge Hanson's voice came over the telephone. "Sorry, Stokes. I hope you find your friend, but all you've got is a guy going to a gas station, and I can't give you a warrant based on that alone."

Nick hung up, too angry to reply. "Nick?" Sara was looking at him. "He didn't give us one, did he?"

"No! He didn't!" Nick struggled to control his emotions. "Sorry, I just-"

"It's okay." They stood in silence for a minute, trying to figure out what to do.

"What about what-'is-name? Cat's friend - you know, the district engineer - Paul Newsome? Maybe he could find the deeds - if we get the owner's permission, we don't need a warrant.

"Yeah, I'll give him a call."

Twenty Minutes Later, 9:20 pm...

The phone kept ringing. _Come on, pick UP! _Sara mentally urged whoever was on the other side.

"Hello?" A well-mannered voice answered.

"Hello, I'm Sara Sidle, with the Las Vegas Crime Lab, I was wondering if I could talk to you about your gas station."

"Yes?" the voice was guarded now - anyone would be after receiving a call from a "crime lab."

"Well, we have reason to believe that a kidnapper is holding a woman there, but we don't have enough for a search warrant. If we had your permission, however..."

"Um... sure. It's been basically abandoned for years, don't know why anyone would want to go there."

Sara cut him off. "Thank you." she hung up, turning to Nick. "Let's go."

**---------------Gerald Fremont's House---------------**

Grissom hung up the phone and turned around; Brass and Warrick were both looking at him. "They got the owner's permission!"

"Alright, let's go!" They left the house, running to the cars.

**-----------------Gas-and-Go Station----------------**

Catherine sat on the dirt floor of the little shack, crying. _It didn't happen, didn't happen, didn't happen!_ she repeated to herself over and over, hoping that if she said it enough it would be true. She had tried to fight him off - and maybe if her hands had been free, she would've been able to- but couldn't. HE had forced her to the ground and riped off her clothes. And then...

The door opening interrupted her thoughts. A dark shape filled the doorway and Catherine shrank back against the wall. He walked toward her, stepping over the rope she had finally gotten off her wrists. "Oh, come on, Cat. Your not still scared of me are you? Still? After we know each other so well?" He laughed as she tried to move as far away from him as possible, clutching the tattered edges of her shirt together. He approached her, reaching out to touch her face. She jerked away, but the wall was behind her, and she couldn't back up any more. He lowered his hand. "Relax, Cath. I just came to bring you some food." She hadn't noticed the bag of chips he held in his other hand. He gave it to her, and she took it cautiously. "It's still sealed - I didn't do anything to it." Catherine dropped it to the ground, not wanting to let her guard down. He turned and walked out, "I'll see you later," he called as the lock clicked, his meaning obvious in his tone of voice. Gerald walked back into the gas station, where he had set up a cot for himself. He would go see her after she was asleep, - he touched his face ruefully, the three deep cuts still sore - she was too dangerous when awake.


	8. The End Or the Beginning?

**---------------Gas-and-Go Station-----------------**

Several police cars pulled silently into the gas station, followed by several Tahoes. The cops surrounded the building. One opened the door while three others rushed in, lead by Brass. Gerald Fremont woke up to see four beams of light pointed at his eyes. "Gerald Fremont?" a voice boomed at him from behind one of the lights.

"Who wants to know?" he replied smartly.

"Well, if you _are_, then you're under arrest for the kidnappings of Lindsey and Catherine Willows. If you're not, then please step outside while we look around." Two cops escorted him outside, where he stood between them while Sara got a DNA sample.

Nick walked into the gas station. "Any sign of Cath?"

"Nothin' yet." Warrick replied. "D' you think we got the wrong place?"

"I don't know, 's possible, I suppose."

Brass walked in, "Found her?" he was met with dejected sighs and head-shaking from the other two. "Well, on the bright side, we can hold the guy as a squatter for a few days, long enough to get a DNA match."

**----------------The Little Shed out Back----------------**

Grissom watched as Fremont was pulled out of the building and escorted over to the cars. Nicky and Warrick rushed into the station, looking for Catherine, but there was no sign of her. He walked around to the other side of the building; still no sign of Catherine._ Catherine, where the hell are you? _Then he saw it - a little shack, behind the station. Running over, he turned the dead bolt that held the door closed. Catherine was lying on the floor at the far side of the shed, apparently asleep. Her face was covered in bruises, and her clothes were ripped open. Too choked-up to speak, he dropped to his knees beside her, and reached out to touch her face.

Catherine opened her eyes when she heard the door open. Pretending to be asleep, she watched him with half-open eyes. She couldn't see his face, silhouetted against the light as he was, but she knew who it was. _He will have to kill me first!_ she decided. _Or I will kill him!!_ He lowered himself to the ground and reached out to touch her. She swung her legs out, kicking him hard in the groin and knocking him over. He fell backwards, and she ran out the door.

Police cars surrounded the gas station, and cops were setting up crime scene tape. Turning around, she saw Grissom rising to his feet. _Oops!_ "Gil, I'm so sorry! I couldn't see... I thought you were..."

At that moment, everyone else came running over. "Cath, are you all right?" "I'm fine"

"You're sure you're OK?" "Yes, _I'm fine_" They kept asking her; a few minutes later, someone realized who was missing.

"Hey guys," Sara started, "Where's Grissom?"

Catherine turned guiltily. Grissom was limping out of the shed. "Catherine, remind me never to piss you off."

Nick looked from one to the other, "Hang on - what happened?"

"Well, it's hard to see when you're looking into the light," Catherine defended herself. "Grissom walked in and I thought he was..." she gestured to where Fremont was being put into a cop car.

"She's got one hell of a kick!" Grissom emphasized.

The EMTs approached the group."Ms. Willows?" one started cautiously.

Catherine sighed. "I'm coming." As she climbed into the ambulance, she turned to Grissom. "Could you bring Lindsey by? I want to see her-"

"I'll go pick her up now. We'll be at the hospital as soon as possible." The doors closed, and the ambulance speed toward the city, followed by the police car holding Gerald Fremont.

**---------------The Hospital---------------**

As the nurse turned to leave after collecting the SAE kit, Catherine stopped her. "Do you have any make-up with you?" The nurse gave her a puzzled look "My daughter is coming, and I don't want her to see me like this." Catherine indicated the bruises covering her face. The woman nodded, and handed her purse to Catherine.

Later:

Grissom and Lindsey walked into the hospital room. "Mommy!!!!" Lindsey squealed, jumping onto the bed. Catherine winced as the bed shifted.

"Hey, baby! She embraced her daughter, trying not to show the pain that came with every movement. Grissom turned and walked out into the hallway to give them some privacy. About twenty minutes later, Lindsey cam running out into the hallway, clutching a dollar bill. "Mommy said I could get something from the vending machine!" Grissom peered around the door and, when she saw him, Catherine waved him in.

"My make-up started to run." She explained as she reapplied it carefully. Grissom could see dark angry bruises where her tears had washed away the concealer. When she had finished, he could barely tell that she had ever been hurt.

"How did you learn to do that?"

"Oh, come on, Gil, I was married to Eddie! This isn't the worst I've had to hide," she examined her face in the compact. "But, it's pretty close."

"D' you mean that Eddie used to..." Grissom started in shock.

"I... I thought you knew. Damn, I guess I'm better at hiding this shit than I thought." She paused, "Gil, I'm sorry about... I seriously thought you were Fremont.

"It's OK." The silence was deafening. The only noise was Lindsey running down the hall.

_I shouldn't have mentioned Eddie. I always thought he knew, and just respected my wishes by not talking about it. - Well, maybe he would've said something._

_Damn, I should've known about Eddie. I would've killed the bastard_!_ But he's already dead. At least I can make sure this one doesn't get away._ He noticed again how vulnerable she looked; trying so hard to pretend that nothing was wrong. _Catherine, I love you!_ He sat back, stunned. _Have I only just realized it?_

He reached out to take her hand. "Catherine - I don't know how to say this..." he gave a self-mocking laugh. "I was so scared that I would never see you again; I guess I only just realized that I needed to tell you... to tell you that I love you." He looked down at their hands, worried about what her reaction would be. She squeezed his hand and their eyes locked on each other's. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to - her eyes said it all. Leaning forward, Grissom kissed her gently - passionately.

"Mommy, look who else is here!" Catherine broke off the kiss and looked over to see Lindsey in the doorway, Nick, Sara, Warrick and Brass behind her. "Eeew, they were kissing!" Everyone flooded into the room, and Grissom moved away from the bed to let Lindsey get near her mother. As Catherine talked with all of her friends, her eyes met with his, and she knew everything would be all right.


End file.
